


Of Unadulterated Love

by Carmailo



Series: Voltron One Shots [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Trans, Laith, M/M, Shiro is mentioned in passing, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans!Keith, Transgender!Keith, a fluffy story about two dorks in love, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-31 20:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12140967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmailo/pseuds/Carmailo
Summary: It feels okay.Okay to admit that he’s in love, alright to say that he’ll give his life for this person, completely fine to have these feelings. That even though there are liabilities and difficulties that come with the declaration, there is the thought of happiness, of unadulteratedlove.





	Of Unadulterated Love

He gets a little too handsy.

And it’s really Keith’s fault, too, he should know better. Should’ve stopped Lance a few moments ago, when his fingers were still ghosting across the small of Keith’s back.

Keith needs to be in control - Keith _should_ be in control! He’s pissing himself off now, because he wants to stop, but he doesn’t - and _god,_ how’d he even get here in the first place?

“Lance,” he forces out, voice cracking.

The sudden change in tone has the taller boy pulling back, hands sliding downwards, away from dangerously close to the hem of Keith’s binder and down to his waist, hands interlocked behind his back. “What’s wrong?” he asks instantly, concern coloring his features.

Keith’s hands, on Lance’s shoulders, tighten before he loosens his grip and pulls him in for a hug. “Keith?” Lance asks, voice soft. He hugs back whole-heartedly. Keith thinks Lance gives some of the best hugs (though he’d have to fight Hunk for the title).

“It’s nothing,” he assures. The team - with the exception of Shiro - doesn’t know that Keith is transgender. It’s not an important fact, so he hasn’t bothered telling anyone. What should it matter? Keith is a _boy._ Saying he’s transgender changes the entire perspective.

“Keith…” Lance hums, “you’ve been so skittish lately. Are you scared of me?” his voice is not unkind. It’s understanding and gentle.

“No… kinda,” Keith admits, “but not for the reasons you probably think.” Keith mumbles, voice muffled by Lance’s shoulder.

“Well, that’s okay. And you don’t have to share right away. I respect that you need space. But you can trust me, okay?” Lance’s fingers card through Keith’s hair.

Keith wants to tell him. He really, really does. “Promise you won’t laugh.”

“I would never.”

“Promise you’ll be honest.”

“I hereby swear.”

“Promise you’ll keep this a secret.”

“Cross my heart.”

Keith falls quiet then, struggling to say what he needs to before he can be sure it’s okay to share his secret.

“Please don’t think of me differently.” his voice comes out quiet, vulnerable and scared.

“Keith. Look at me,” Lance pulls back enough to look Keith properly in the face. He gently coaxes the shorter boy, using two fingers to force eye contact. “You could be full Galra - doesn’t make you a different person. You’re always going to be Keith. If you change your name, you’re always going to be the person that you are, just by a different word. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” y’know?” Lance smiles his stupidly crooked smile.

“Romeo and Juliet,” Keith mumbles in response, because it’s all he can muster without breaking to tears at the support. He’d fought all his life to be independant. It felt good to have someone steadfast to rely on - someone who knows him a way different than how Shiro does.

Someone he’d always been a boy to. Someone he’d always be a friend to, no matter race, gender, role… anything.

“Yeah. Thought it was sweet. Except for the part where they die. That kinda sucks.” Lance smiles a little wider when Keith manages a laugh.

A few moments later, the humor has passed and Keith tries to work his tongue into the words he should say. He’s not sure how to say them, or even _what_ to say at all, so he spends the time moving his mouth around, trying to find a place to start.

It’s frustrating, so eventually he gives up and moves away. His hands go to the hem of his shirt and tug off his top. He drops it to the ground and looks up at Lance with bated breath.

“Well?” he prompts, when he gets no response.

“Keith, honey, I appreciate the strip-tease-”

“Lance!” Keith whacks Lance in the chest, though not too hard. He would never hurt Lance (unless he was a dick about what Keith was showing him).

“Kidding, kidding. But is this what you wanted to tell me?” he asks.

“Yeah. I’m a boy, though-”

“Keith. I know. Look, give me your hands.” Keith lifts his hands tentatively.

Lance takes them and turns them, palm-up. “Look. These lines have all been here since the day you were born. Some of them are newer, some of them are gone, but they’ve been here a long time. Now,” Lance takes a hand and covers a line, “does me removing this line make these hands any less yours?”

Keith is caught, mesmerized by Lance. He shakes his head.

“Exactly. Just because your hands are different, doesn’t mean that they’re not yours. Covering up a line on your palm because you feel like they’re not supposed to be like that doesn’t change you. Just your hands. Just cause you’ve got a traditionally female body, doesn’t mean you’re a girl. It doesn’t matter what you look like, ‘cause at the end of the day, you’re still you. And if you’re a guy, then you’re a guy.”

Keith feels his lips tremble. He presses them together. Garnering support like this had been difficult when Shiro had been lost to Kerberos. Even now, up in space, the man was unable to provide the support Keith was too scared to ask for; the fate of the universe was resting on Keith’s shoulders. What difference did it make that he was male or female? Wanting support from Shiro seemed like a waste of time and resources.

“I’d love you either way.” Lance continues, breaking off Keith’s thoughts, only to set off a new chain.

They’d danced around the topic of love - an unspoken agreement had been made. Neither was to confess love. For one reason or another, they’d found the thought of mumbling those three words to one another too heavy to allow. And at the end of the day, they were all still just human children. They could be torn apart easily. Adding love to their relationship would create too many strings, especially should one of them make a fatal error on a mission.

But in the moment, Keith could care less about the liabilities. It was Lance’s blatant confession to something he’d been so deprived of that had him reeling. “You love me?”

Lance’s eyes, that deep indigo shade, fixated on Keith’s, and he nodded once. “You love _me?_ ” Keith asked again, needing to confirm the sentiment.

“Yes, Keith, I love _you_.” Lance affirmed, giving the soft smile that was making Keith want to cry, laugh, and smile, all at once.

“Are you sure?” he whispered instead, features tightening in anticipation for what was surely going to be rejection.

Lance’s hands moved from Keith’s hands to his face. Gentle, he held Keith’s cheeks, “yes, I’m sure. I want you to be my space-boyfriend, and I want to be your space-boyfriend. I want us to go on space-dates and kick some alien ass. I want you to let me love you. And I’ll wait until you’re ready, if you ever feel ready, to love me back. And if you never do, it’s honestly okay by me.” Lance smiled his lopsided grin, but behind it Keith felt an undercurrent of fear, fear that he might be refused completely.

“I… don’t know if I can say...” Keith started, grimly setting his lips, “but I’d like to be able to, and I believe I _could,_ eventually. It’s… It’s not that I don’t, it’s just…”

“No, I get it. You take your time. I can wait.”

“ _No,_ ” Keith protests, “you shouldn’t have to, it’s not fair. I… Not a lot of people have said that they love me… If I say I love you, I’ll get clingy and annoying and then I’ll drive you away-”

“Sh,” Lance interrupts, pressing a finger to Keith’s lips. “Stop.”

The frown is still present on Keith’s lips, but he closes his mouth tightly and doesn’t continue his rambling.

“I love you.” Lance says, “which means you physically are unable to drive me away. If you think you get clingy, believe me,” Lance laughs a little, “you can’t even compare to me.”

Keith isn’t sure if it’s a self-depreciating comment, so he quells it slightly with, “you can be as clingy as you want with me.”

Lance looks delighted. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Keith nods.

A split second later, one of Lance’s long legs are wrapping around Keith’s middle, his arms tangling around his neck. Surprised, Keith goes to hold him up, his own arms interlocking beneath Lance as a second leg embraces his waist.

“Jesus, Lance,” Keith says, but he can’t hide the smile in his voice.

“You’ve seen nothing yet-”

“Oh, god, please, no,” Keith interjects, now laughing aloud.

Lance smiles down from his perch on Keith.

And… it feels okay. Okay to admit that he’s in love, alright to say that he’ll give his life for this person, completely fine to have these feelings. That even though there are liabilities and difficulties that come with the declaration, there is the thought of happiness, of unadulterated _love_.

“I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was looking at trans voltron headcanons and i just  
> i personally don't HC keith as trans, just thought it might be a nice write, and that I should also practice writing in situations I'm not familiar with... Did I do okay in representing a transgender person? I REALLY hope so... if i offended you please tell me in the comments and we'll work together to fix it!
> 
> On another note: You are valid. Your gender is valid. Your orientation is valid. Are you a cishet? not your fault, you do you! Aroace pan genderfluid all at once? Great! You are _you_. I respect you.
> 
> That applies to everyone. You are not "incorrect". If the people around you don't accept you, sucks to them! You WILL find someone who does. In the meantime, be yourself! Explore how you feel, learn what the things you identify as mean! I believe in you <3
> 
> If you ever need someone to talk to, drop me a message. I'm here, on Tumblr (carmailo.tumblr.com), on Insta (carmai.lo) and youtube (carmailo). Let's chat about everything and nothing at all.
> 
> Til next time!


End file.
